Modern telecommunication systems include heterogeneous mixtures of second, third, and fourth generation (2G, 3G, and 4G) cellular access technologies, which are cross-compatible and operate collectively to provide broadband communication services to a majority of the population in the United States, as well as to populations abroad. Global Systems for Mobile (GSM) is an example of 2G wireless telecommunication technologies; Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) is an example of 3G wireless telecommunication technologies; and Long Term Evolution (LTE), including LTE Advanced and Evolved High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA+), are examples of 4G wireless telecommunication technologies.
With the advent of many popular web-based content providers (e.g., Facebook®, Twitter®, Netflix®, Hulu®, YouTube®, Pandora®, iTunes®, Google Play®, Amazon Store®, and the like), cutting-edge communication devices (e.g., smart phones, tablet computers, electronic book devices, etc.), and enhanced cellular-wireless access technologies (e.g., LTE, LTE advanced, and HSPA+), modern telecommunication networks are supporting an increasing amount of internet protocol (IP) data being communicated over the radio access network (RAN) portion of their respective network (e.g., over the Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) of UMTS as well as over the Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) of LTE). As the RAN portion of modern telecommunication networks continues to evolve, so must the backhaul portion of these networks. Network-service-provider-side enhancements and renovations are necessary for service providers to be able to accommodate the exponential increase of IP-based traffic over modern telecommunication networks.
The Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) is an international industry consortium dedicated to promoting the adoption of Carrier Ethernet. The MEF is responsible for the standardization of evolving Carrier Ethernet communication technologies, which it accomplishes by publishing various related technical specifications associated with modern backhaul networks. With respect to the 4G LTE communication protocol suite, the MEF has provided at least the following Carrier Ethernet specifications and definitions, which describe various technologies that are intended to support high-throughput 4G backhaul communications:                MEF 22.1: Mobile Backhaul Phase 2 Implementation Agreement        MEF 23.1: Class of Service Phase 2 Implementation Agreement        MEF 6.1: Metro Ethernet Services Definitions Phase 2                    MEF 6.1.1: Layer 2 Control Protocol Handling Amend. to MEF 6.1                        MEF 10.2: MEF 10.2 Ethernet Services Attributes Phase 2                    MEF 10.2.1: Performance Attributes Amend. to MEF 10.2                        
In addition, Carrier Ethernet service providers and their customers/licensees (e.g., cellular-wireless access providers) are actively pursuing new ways to improve the availability and quality of service (QoS) of their respective backhaul networks. Unfortunately, modern Carrier Ethernet network providers generally fail to dynamically adapt to time-varying network conditions so as to allow a corresponding Carrier Ethernet network to sufficiently withstand inevitable backhaul component failures (e.g., a damaged or a defective router device, or an unavailable or over-burdened communication link).